10. McKenna
It’s college move-in day tomorrow for campus athletes and I’m in my room putting the last few pairs of shoes in bins. There’s a loud thump before I hear, “Oh, fuck!” from Carson’s room.
Sighing deeply, I move down the hall and knock on his door. “Everything alright in there, Carse?”
I’m met with deafening silence, so I try the doorknob to find it’s locked. “Carson, are you okay? I heard a loud noise, and I know you’re in there. Will you just tell me you’re alright?”
A few moments pass, the silence eating at me. Then, finally, Carson opens his door, seemingly out of breath and covered in sweat, before he replies with, “Yeah, everything is fine. Just had a trophy fall off the shelf.”
“Right . . . well, I’m glad you’re okay—” I stop short when I hear a light giggle from the other side of the door. A laugh that sounds very familiar.
“What the hell? Is that . . . is that Katie?” I demand.
Appearing from the other side of the door and looking quite disheveled, Katie says, “Oh, please, Kenna, as if you could talk! But before you get your panties in a twist, it’s not what it looks like.”
“Uh-huh . . . and what exactly does it look like?”
“Like I was just giving Kitty a life-changing orgasm?” Carse guesses.
“He most certainly was not.” She turns and swats his chest. “I was helping Carse pack some of his shit to avoid packing up my room. I was getting too emo packing up all my pictures. Anyways, a trophy did fall—the most prized one—the one from our wheelbarrow relay race.”
“Show me . . . I’m having a hard time believing Carse wouldn’t be crying in the corner if that were the case.”
“Hey, I’m not that big of a pussy. Besides, we said it fell. It didn’t break.”
“Don’t talk about parts of the female anatomy you know nothing about,” Katie snarks, crossing her arms across her chest.
Carson rubs his palm across his chest, feigning hurt. “You wound me. But it makes me feel better knowing you’re so obsessed with my sex life, Kitty.”
“Oh, please. You’d have to actually have a sex life for me to be obsessed with it,” she retorts.
“Delusion doesn’t look good on you. In fact, neither does jealousy. If you want to know what it feels like to receive an orgasm from a man, I’d volunteer as tribute,” Carson propositions.
Katie’s face turns red before she snaps back, “I told you that in a moment of weakness. I’d rather get fucked in the ass by a cactus than receive an orgasm from you.”
I think I might die from laughter. It’s hard to breathe through the belly laughs. Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a ping-pong match with these two. The back and forth is both hilarious and exhausting.
“Do you see what I have to put up with now that you stole my best friend?” Carson gripes. “G never wants to hang out with me anymore because he’s too caught up in you.”
“Alright, alright. Katie, let’s leave Carse to his packing. I just finished up, so why don’t I come over and help you finish?”
“You’re going to wish you didn’t make that suggestion when you see the disaster that is my room,” Katie says as she makes her way down the hall toward the stairs.
I hold back a second, looking at Carse. “Do I have anything to worry about here?”
He gives a chin nod in the direction Katie just retreated. “The only thing you have to worry about is Kitty eating someone alive with that mouth of hers.”
Shaking my head I say, “That’s not what I meant. Do I need to worry about you breaking my best friend’s heart? I can see something has changed between the two of you. I’m not blind. We’re all going to the same college. So I’m going to ask again. Do I have anything to worry about?”
He breathes out what sounds like a defeated sigh. “No, you don’t, but you have to swear not to say anything.”
“Okay, I swear.”
“We kissed once over the Fourth of July. It was stupid. We were both drunk, and we agreed nothing else would ever happen.”
I’m not really shocked by his admission. More so hurt that Katie felt like she couldn’t tell me when that happened over a month ago.
“I’m not surprised that it happened. So I take it you’re not the mystery guy she was seeing?”
He shakes his head. “No clue who that was. But, no. There hasn’t been anything going on behind anyone’s back. It was one kiss, and no offense, it was like kissing my sister.”
I chuckle at that. “None taken. I’m going to help her pack up. We’ve got an early morning tomorrow. Are you ready?”
“Fuck yeah,” he hollers, scooping me into his arms. “From diapers to dorms. Look at how far we’ve come.”
Shaking my head, I reply, “You’re such a dork. Now get packed so we don’t miss our arrival time.”
The next morning comes faster than I had imagined. Carson, Katie, and I each rode in separate vehicles due to the sheer amount of stuff we had packed. Carson rode to his dorm with my dad while I rode with my mom. Katie rode with her dad, but Griff’s Jeep pulled in behind them, packed to the hilt with bins, bedding, and more clothes than Katie would ever need this year.
Today is move-in day for athletes on campus. From what I’ve heard, the fall and winter sports are the only teams moving in today. We were one of the earliest move-in times.
Katie and I requested to be roommates, and our dorm room is on a floor full of jocks, most likely because it’s the closest to the practice facilities. Our dorm is co-ed, but from the sounds of it, only the men’s basketball, golf, and wrestling teams are in ours. Carson’s dorm is just across the road and houses the football and hockey teams.
“Are you planning to ever wear the same outfit or pair of shoes twice? I think you packed your entire closet. You do remember we live like fifteen miles away, right?” I ask her after taking the fourth trip full of just her clothes up the two flights of stairs to our dorm room.
A few girls from the soccer team are across the hall when we round the corner. Griff is in front of me and Katie, giving me the best view of his bubble butt in his athletic shorts and form-fitting T-shirt.
As we passed the girls in the hall, I heard one of them ask, “Oh my god, is that Griffin Turner?”
Then the girl next to her says, “He’s easily the hottest college hockey player.”
Finally, the third girl chimes in. “Didn’t he get drafted? Wait, do you think he’s transferring here?”
Great. As if I wasn’t already nervous about when Griff goes back to school, now the last three weeks we have together are going to be filled with girls hitting on him whenever he visits me.
The NIL rules that were passed a few months ago have already allowed Griff to make a few lucrative deals with major sporting brands. He’s made deals with Bauer, Gatorade, and Lululemon already. Which means his face is all over social media and ads. Therefore, Griffin Turner has turned into a poster boy athlete for women to fawn over.
I know he would never cheat on me, and the heightened notoriety hasn’t gone to his head. But I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t add to my nerves about our long-distance relationship. My ex, Drew, cheating on me while we were long-distance doesn’t help either.
Once we get to our room, Griff sets down the bins he’s carrying, grabs the hangers from my arms, and tosses the clothes on Katie’s bed.
“Come here, Sunshine.” He pulls me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around my waist. He bends his head to whisper in my ear. “I don’t want you to worry about anything, Kenna. I’m crazy about you—some might say obsessed.”
I smile at his attempt to reassure me. “I know you are, and I am, too. I know you’d never cheat on me, Griff. But I’m not going to lie and say I won’t be jealous of the fact that other girls get to ogle my man when we’re long-distance. But I’m sure that’s nothing a little FaceTiming can’t fix.”
He sighs in relief, most likely because he’s used to drawn-out fights with Emily over other girls. “What kind of FaceTime calls are we talking about?”
I pull away and innocently respond, “Oh, you know. The kind where you show me the goods no one but me gets the pleasure of seeing.”
Griff chuckles and pulls me back into his chest. “Mmm—I think I can do that. As long as I get to see my girl like no one else does, too.” He brings me in for a kiss that is far from innocent.
“Ahem!” Katie interrupts, breaking us apart. “G, I think we’re all done with your muscle services for now. Why don’t you lend me back my bestie for the rest of the day so we can get our room set up and do some girlie shit.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll take your not-so-subtle dismissal and leave,” Griff replies before bringing me in for another quick kiss and a tight hug. “FaceTime me later, Sunshine?”
I laugh at his lack of subtlety—it’s just as bad as Katie’s attempt. “I’ll call you later. We’ve got to figure out plans for Jackson’s party on Friday, too.”
Once he shuts the door behind him, Katie grabs my hand and sits on my empty bed.
“Can you fricken believe it?! We’re freshmen in college. We’re rooming together. And we’re both starting training camp in a few days as college volleyball players on the same damn team. What a time to be alive, Mack!” Katie squeals with excitement.
I turn my head to look at her. “You’re more than my best friend—you’re like the sister I never had, Katie. Of course, we’re doing this together!”
All of a sudden, and out of nowhere, Katie bursts into laughter. “Remember yesterday when you thought Carson and I were hooking up? That shit was hilarious.”
I want so badly to tell her I know she and Carson kissed, but I’ll let her come to me with that when she’s ready. Instead, I suggest, “We could save a ton of money if we did a double wedding.”
“Dear god, Mack! The only wedding I foresee happening between a Turner and a Wilder is you and my brother.”
If that ever happens, I have no doubt it will be the best day of my entire existence.
Training camp began two days ago, and so far, it’s been brutal as hell. It’s been early mornings, two-a-days, hitting the weight room, team meals, team bonding, and meeting the coaches and training staff. Call me a masochist, but I’ve loved every second of it. Getting to compete at this level is what I’ve been working for since middle school. It’s why I’ve sacrificed missing countless weekends with friends, school dances and events, and even dates with boys.
So far, the upperclassmen have been welcoming to me, Katie, and the two other freshmen, Alexa and Brooke. I’ve been surprised to find how tight-knit the team is already, even though we’re all competing with each other this week—giving our all to stand out to make the final roster, get playtime, and become starters.
Coach Hendrix has already pushed me harder than any other coach has, and it’s only the first week. Katie and I are both playing well. Our connection on the court shines through during every drill and scrimmage we compete in on the same team.
I was completely spent by the time our team dinner was over tonight, but when I got back to our dorm, a package was waiting for me at the security desk. I thanked Fred, the security guard on duty, and then headed upstairs to take a much-needed shower.
I nearly forgot about the package until I was ready to crash on my bed, where I set it before my shower.
My exhaustion wanes a little as I open the box and discover the contents. Inside the box is a card that reads:
Sunshine, I just signed a deal with this company, and I told my agent I’d only do it if I could get you one to use as well. I know you’re crushing it at training camp. Hope this helps recover your sore muscles on days I can’t be there to massage them for you. xx—G
My heart stutters the way it always does when it comes to Griff. I put the card on my nightstand table. It’s probably weird, but I’ve kept every little card and note he’s given me so far. I know I’ll want to look at them when we’re in the thick of our long-distance phase.
I turn back to the box and grab what looks like a hard shell carrying case. I open the case to find a rechargeable massage gun with several different detachable heads.
After putting the battery in and attaching a sphere-shaped tool, I FaceTime Griff.
He answers on the second ring, his shirtless chest and chiseled jaw filling my phone screen. “Hey, Sunshine.”
“Hi, baby. Guess what?” I ask, but I don’t wait for his reply. “I got a package in the mail today.”
As soon as the little machine starts percussion, massaging my sore quad muscles, I moan. It probably sounds like I’m masturbating, but this might honestly be more satisfying than getting myself off.
“Jesus, Kenna. I think we’re going to have to add FaceTime sex to our long-distance arsenal. The sounds you’re making from just that massage gun touching your quads make me think I should get you something smaller to massage your clit while I’m away.”
“I don’t have any toys.” I feel my cheeks heat as soon as the words leave my mouth. It’s not that I’m opposed to them, I’ve just never been able to bring myself to purchase one.
Griff’s smile turns devilish. “Consider it done. Now, tell me how training camp went today.”
I continue to massage my sore muscles, practically purring from the relief I’m already feeling. “It went really well. Coach played me and Katie on the starter’s side of the court for a few drills and our last scrimmage of the day. Hopefully, that means we’ll see a little playtime in some of the games this season.”
“That’s my girl! You and Katie both worked your asses off this summer, so your coach was bound to see that. Mark my words. You’ll be a starter by the end of the season.”
I smile down at his face on my screen. “Your confidence is both sexy and slightly misplaced. I think Katie has a good chance of beating out Zoe for the starting setter position, but I’ve got two other girls vying for the same outside hitter position.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but my girl is a beast on the court. Her nickname in high school was Mack Attack because every hit was a kill.”
“You’re a dork,” I tell him, shaking my head.
“Yeah, but you still miss me like crazy,” he retorts.
“You’re right, I do. Why can’t it be Friday night yet?” I whine.
Griff’s answering chuckle plays through my speakers like a soothing melody. “Only two more sleeps until I get to fall asleep with you in my arms.”
“Jeesh, I need to watch my back. I’ve got a stage-five clinger on my hands. Counting down the sleeps until we’re together again?”
I can’t wait to fall asleep in his arms and be cocooned in his warmth.
Griffin Turner has turned me into an addict, and I can’t complain one bit.
Friday morning brings the first warning signs that I can’t ignore. My back started aching as soon as I woke up, and my boobs felt heavy and sore like I’ve got two sacks of sand in my sports bra. I’m praying I can make it through this final day of training camp before Mother Nature drives a stake through my uterus.
I’ve been dealing with my endometriosis symptoms since they started progressively getting worse freshman year of high school. Unfortunately, the combination of being an early bloomer and my family history of endo means my symptoms have become intense—sometimes debilitating.
I’ve been on birth control since my freshman year of high school. My doctor suggested taking progesterone-only pills so my estrogen levels wouldn’t get any higher. My periods have been irregular—sometimes, I can go up to three months without getting one. My last period was before graduation and lasted over a week, with cramps so intense I had to miss several days of school.
I barely made it through the second practice before returning to my dorm room to lie down. Griff and I were supposed to go out tonight with Carson and Katie, but I texted our group thread earlier, letting them know I wouldn’t make it. Katie tried to tell me she was staying with me, but I told her she was not missing out on the end-of-summer party at Jackson’s. It was most likely the last time everyone would get together before going to different colleges and down different paths.
The pain in my back and abdomen is crippling, so I put on my rattiest pair of sweatpants and grab one of the T-shirts Griff gave me now that we can’t sleep together every night. I even sprayed some of his cologne on them. I bring the shirt up to my face and take a deep inhale of his signature woodsy scent. I’m still standing in my sports bra when a knock sounds at my door.
“Open the door, Sunshine.”
Why did I think Griff would still go to the party without me?
I open the door, not surprised to find Griff on the other side. What surprises me are the grocery bags he’s holding in his hands. I must give him a questioning look, to which he just shrugs in reply.
“I heard my girl was feeling under the weather,” he says as he walks by me to set the bags on my desk.
“That may just be the understatement of the year,” I state.
Griff grabs my hands and pulls me into his chest. “Come here. I can see just by looking at you how much pain you’re in. Lie down and let me play hot nurse,” he jokes.
He pulls back my comforter and I take his suggestion and lie down.
“What’s with the bags?” I probe.
Griff’s hand goes to the back of his neck, the way it does when he’s nervous, and he feels the need to tug at his hair.
“Oh, right. I-uh . . . got some supplies. I didn’t really know what you’d want or need, so I just kind of winged it.” He grabs the bags from my desk and sets them on my bed before sitting off the edge next to me.
“I didn’t know if you had a heating pad with you or not, so I got one of those. Then I saw these heat therapy patches that I thought you could wear at practice. Well, that was probably a dumb idea. You’ll be sweating at practice, so you probably won’t want the added heat—”
I grab his hand to stop him from pulling out the next item from the bag and tell him, “Those look amazing. I’m definitely going to try those out. In the past, I’ve had to miss school, practice, and even a game because of my cramps. This is so thoughtful, Griff.” I start to choke up.
“Of course, anything to make my girl feel better,” he says before continuing to dig through the bags. “I got a mix of snacks . . . some kettle corn, pretzels, those chocolate-covered peanuts you like, Funyuns, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, and sour gummy worms.”
“So you basically bought out the entire pharmacy,” I deadpan. “You didn’t have to do that, but thank you. I love y—I love how thoughtful you are.”
Oh my god. Did I just seriously almost blurt out that I love him in a hormone-induced haze?
Thankfully, he didn’t catch my almost-confession, or he’s taking pity on me. Either way, I”m relieved.
A little while later, we’re watching The Proposal on my laptop that’s propped up on my nightstand. Because rom-coms and Ryan Reynolds make everything better.
Griff has me cradled in his arms, my body curled around him, my head resting on his chest, while he rubs my lower back. The feel of his calloused fingers pressing into my skin feels so good that it distracts me from my pain, causing a quiet moan to slip out.
His deep voice tickles my forehead. “So, I was doing some reading and—”
“That’s never good,” I mockingly cut him off.
“Don’t be a brat. Anyway . . . I was doing some light reading and came across something that piqued my interest. Did you know that having an orgasm helps relieve period cramps due to the oxytocin and dopamine that’s released?” he asks in a casual tone as if this were just another random conversation.
“I didn’t know that. Why were you reading about that?” I press him.
“Katie may have mentioned that your time of the month is more intense than most. I wanted to see if there was anything I could do. Hence, the supplies and, if you’re up for experimenting, the orgasm I plan on giving you.”
I shake my head furiously back and forth. “No. Not-uh. Not happening. If you see anything that is going on down there, you’ll never want to give me another orgasm again.”
“Chill out, Sunshine. I’m not going to eat you out.”
Well, at least we’re both clear on that.
“I’ve made you come plenty of times by just grinding against my dick,” he says before adding, “and just so we’re clear. I am not opposed to shower sex during your time of the month. I’ll close my eyes or do whatever you want if it’ll make you feel better.”
I’m not sure I could get past the embarrassment I’d feel if we did have sex while I have my period.
Griff pulls me from my thoughts when he asks, “Where did you put that massage gun I got you?” The twinkle in his eyes leads me to believe he’s up to something.
“It’s in the case on the bottom of my side table. My back is pretty tender, so could you use the lowest setting?”
“Oh, I don’t plan to use it on your back, Sunshine.” He smirks. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do,” I reply without hesitation.
“Roll onto your back and spread your legs slightly.”
I comply, eager to see where he’s going with this. Griff places two of his fingers over my clit, circling them over my sweatpants.
A rush of heat floods my core, the way it always does when Griff touches me. He kisses me deeply. The combination of the way he tastes on my tongue and his spicy scent fills the air—he consumes me.
He grabs the massage gun and turns it on the lowest setting, straddling my thighs. Placing his two fingers back on my clit, he uses his other hand to hold the massage gun. The moment he places the massage gun against his opposite hand and his two fingers begin vibrating against my clit, my hips jerk in response. The way his legs bracket mine in place keeps me from bucking off the bed.
The combination of the vibration and the way his fingers play my clit like a fiddle have me coming undone in under a minute. My orgasm takes me to new heights, and just like Griff read, as the high subsides, I notice my pain has, too.
Griff puts the massage gun back, then motions me to drape myself over him, just how he likes. But I don’t want to receive without reciprocation. As I start to lower myself between his thighs, he stops me.
“Sunshine, tonight was about you and helping alleviate your cramps. Now get that fine ass back up here so I can snuggle my girl while we watch a movie together.”
I do as he says because how could I not? I mean, in a hormone-induced haze, I almost spilled my feelings for him. I’m not sure he’s ready to hear those three little words just yet, but damn, do I feel them with every fiber of my being.